Man shot, killed at Scientology building in LA

[lewisipso]

LOS ANGELES – A security guard shot and killed a man wielding a sword Sunday on the grounds of a Scientology building in Hollywood, police said.
The unidentified man approached the guard around noon in the parking lot of the Scientology Celebrity Centre, said Officer April Harding, a police spokeswoman.
The guard "felt threatened for his life" and fired at the man, Harding said. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Detectives were questioning the guard to figure out the swordsman's motive and determine whether the shooting was justified, Harding said.
Calls to Scientology spokespeople were not immediately returned Sunday.
The Celebrity Centre includes a seven-story Norman-revival landmark that towers over the Hollywood freeway and used to be a residential hotel for movie stars.
The castle-like facility now serves as "a home for the artist, a place where he can come and learn, attend seminars, meet other artists and even perform at our many showcases and events," according to the Centre's Web site.

[pgg]

If it was justified, then I see no problem

[TXCharlie]

Hmmm... I thought the Church of Scientology was solidly against guns. Why would they have an armed guard?

[pgg]

Hmmm... I thought the Church of Scientology was solidly against guns. Why would they have an armed guard?

Because it is filled with the Hollywood Elite Liberals that have the philosiphy of whats good enough for them is NOT good enough for us little people

[Second Chance]

If justified I agree...............just another moron bringing a knife (sword) to a gun fight.

[Pinki]

Because it is filled with the Hollywood Elite Liberals that have the philosiphy of whats good enough for them is NOT good enough for us little people

Sounds like our new Pres, no?

[lewisipso]

If justified I agree...............just another moron bringing a knife (sword) to a gun fight.

One to many episodes of Highlander.

[CTR man]

Hmmm... I thought the Church of Scientology was solidly against guns. Why would they have an armed guard?

Because it is filled with the Hollywood Elite Liberals that have the philosiphy of whats good enough for them is NOT good enough for us little people

Maybe we should ask Tom Cruise, and whats their guru's name? Ah yes, L Ron Hubbard. Oops, can't now. He's Dead.

[adroitcuffs]

Hmmm... I thought the Church of Scientology was solidly against guns. Why would they have an armed guard?

They have a large compound near my city, and several live within the city. In the past, they've had "members" follow certain LEO investigators that were investigating them, including taking photos of the LEO's personal vehicles, etc....

[armsmaster270]

They have a large compound near my city, and several live within the city. In the past, they've had "members" follow certain LEO investigators that were investigating them, including taking photos of the LEO's personal vehicles, etc....

Sounds like they believe that turn about is foreplay

[MacLean]

One to many episodes of Highlander.

[Jenna]

Looks like Maclean!

[MacLean]

Doh, that's MacLeod not MacLean.

Anyhow, why do they need security guards? I thought Tom Cruise could stop people's hearts with his mind.

[Captain America]

Doh, that's MacLeod not MacLean.

Anyhow, why do they need security guards? I thought Tom Cruise could stop people's hearts with his mind.

Brooke Shields would kick his butt, after all she's taller than he is.

[Ducky]

Brooke Shields would kick his butt, after all she's taller than he is.

Me and Lew are just about taller than that fruitcake. He seriously needs a reality check, his last several have bounced.

[Pinki]

Doh, that's MacLeod not MacLean.

Anyhow, why do they need security guards? I thought Tom Cruise could stop people's hearts with his mind.

If I recall correctly, there is a lot of money involved. I think I remember that they have to buy the programs that they 'study.'

[Captain America]

Me and Lew are just about taller than that fruitcake. He seriously needs a reality check, his last several have bounced.

My last duty station in the Navy was the Naval Fighter Weapons School better known as "Topgun".I arrived shortly after the movie was filmed . All of the service personnel ( joint command Navy, Marine and a few Air Force) agreed on one thing about having been there when the movie was filmed. Tom Cruise was a dick with ears. He wouldn't talk to them, was rude ,arrogant and actually got mad when enlisted personnel refused to salute him when he was in " uniform".

[deputysykes]

Hmmm... I thought the Church of Scientology was solidly against guns. Why would they have an armed guard?

I think we only got half of the story....
I think the dude with the sword WAS the armed guard. And the dude with the gun was just a visitor who happened to work as an armed guard elsewhere.

[bayern]

Maybe we should ask Tom Cruise, and whats their guru's name? Ah yes, L Ron Hubbard. Oops, can't now. He's Dead.

He's Dead. He IS NOT DEAD!!! He's flying around in UFOs taking people from Arkansas, West Virgina and other 3d world states to his Flying Saucer for "counseling sessions" If you don't believe me, look at what he did to the Beckhams (you remember then -ol pig nose from that english song and dance team (spice girls?)and an erstwhile soccor player). Don't believe me, ask Tom Cruse.

[pgg]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...,7339011.story

Swordsman killed at Hollywood Scientology center had 'created problems' for the church, police say


Authorities are investigating the past of Mario Majorski, 48, who was shot by a security guard after wielding two samurai swords.
By Harriet Ryan and James Wagner
November 25, 2008
Police said today that a man who was shot dead after wielding two samurai swords at the Church of Scientology's Celebrity Centre in Hollywood had "created problems" for the church in the past.

Authorities were not sure why Mario Majorski, 48, went to the center Sunday morning, but they were looking into his reported problems with the church, said Det. Wendi Berndt of the Los Angeles Police Department.


"From that we believe there is some sort of mental issue," Berndt said.

Majorski allegedly waved two swords in the center's garden about noon Sunday and threatened to kill security guards, she said.

Police said a surveillance tape backed a security guard's claim that he fired his semiautomatic handgun to protect himself and two colleagues.


"The evidence is very clear the security officers were defending their safety," said Deputy Chief Terry S. Hara of the Los Angeles Police Department.

The tape showed the man arriving at the Celebrity Centre's Bronson Avenue parking lot in a red convertible, getting out of the vehicle and approaching a trio of security guards and waving a sword in each hand, Hara said.

He said Majorski was "close enough to hurt them" when the guard fired. Majorski was taken to County-USC Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Berndt said the man was involved with the church "a long time ago."

"There was a previous relationship, but it is unclear to what degree," she said.

Majorski was a church member and student at UCLA in 1993 when he and a classmate sued a psychiatry professor and the university. The professor, Louis West, now deceased, was an expert on brainwashing and an outspoken critic of Scientology, which he dismissed as a "pyramid scheme." Suits filed in state and federal court accused West of activities, including speeches to anti-cult groups, that transgressed the separation of church and state and interfered with Majorski's practice of religion.

Both suits were dismissed, and court records indicate that Majorski's role was largely limited to providing his name as a plaintiff.

Randall Spencer, a lawyer who worked on the suit, said he had no memory of Majorski or the details of the suit.

"This is 15 years ago," he said.

Though police have said Majorski is from Oregon, public records show he maintained residences in both Oregon and California as recently as the summer of 2007.

On Sunday, a teenager who saw the man arrive in the parking lot said he stopped the car abruptly in the driveway and climbed out with a 5-foot sword in his hand and an angry expression on his face.

Tony Marquez, 17, said the man, who was bald and had tattoos on his arms, walked toward the building, then returned to the car to get the other sword.

"I thought it was part of a show," said Marquez, of Ontario. He and his mother entered the building before the shooting began.

Police said the guard worked for a private security company and was a former Los Angeles Police Department officer.

Detectives cordoned off the Franklin Avenue complex with yellow tape as investigators combed through Majorski's Toyota Solara. The incident occurred at one of Hollywood's most distinctive landmarks. Originally a luxury hotel, the eight-story building was built in the style of a 17th century French castle with a striking white facade and turrets that loom over the nearby Hollywood Freeway.

The church remade the building into a facility aimed at celebrities 39 years ago. According to a church website, the Celebrity Centre caters to "artists, politicians, leaders of industry, sports figures and anyone with the power and vision to create a better world." The complex includes a restaurant, theater and hotel. Representatives of the church did not return calls.

"I have no information," said a woman who answered the phone at the Celebrity Centre.

The facility is ringed by a fence, and security cameras dot the property's perimeter. Guards on bikes also patrol the area.

"That is one thing about living here, you get free security," said Brant Hoibin, 34, who lives in an apartment next to the Celebrity Centre.

Ryan and Wagner are Times staff writers.

Times staff writer Andrew Blankstein contributed to this report.

harriet.ryan@latimes.com

james.wagner@latimes.com